An Unexpected Visitor
by MintCloud
Summary: What happens when Peach gets a strange letter... inviting her to the palace of her frequent captor? Havoc ensues when she travels to Bowser's Castle. The koopalings and Junior appear, Daisy and Rosalina in later chapters! Rating may change.
1. Starts with the Letter

*Note: Sorry if someone already did this, heh.

.: Unexpected Visitor:.

A deep red-orange sunrise engulfed the Mushroom Kingdom in a breathtaking pinkish glow, in the earliest hours of another warm morning. Inside the vast building, the Mushroom Castle, a dainty figure lay asleep. This figure was none other than the pink clad Princess Peach, under a thick blanket of blush silk. As the sun's rays illuminated the royal bedroom, Peach gently awoke. Her blonde hair swished across her eyes as she sat up, stretching as gracefully as she walked. Gently placing her feet upon the plush pink carpet, she rose up from her warm, cozy sleeping area. Peach walked into her closet, where she removed her fuchsia nightgown and put on a long pink dress, fully decorated with a sapphire brooch on the chest. Exiting her large closet, she sat down in a chair in front of a mirrored dresser. Brushing her thick, golden locks of hair, she hummed softly.

The momentary peace was abruptly interrupted by an old Toad walking into her room. He was known as Toadsworth, the advisor and protector of the royal woman herself. Toadsworth was holding a letter in his clammy, tiny palm. Evident confusion, shock, and fear crossed his face, full with the aged wrinkles on his brow. His hand contained a letter fully addressed to the princess herself. The envelope was sealed with the symbol of Peach's many time captor.

A note from Bowser.

Peach gasped as she recognized the symbol almost immediately. Usually, letters from Bowser were filtered and thrown out. Deep in thought, the princess wondered many things. Why was this one not filtered? Standing to face Toadsworth, she inquired her questions, demanding answers.

"Toadsworth, what is the meaning of this? I expected this to be filtered and removed." Peach said, in her soft, lovely, peaceful voice. Toadsworth simply stared at her, a blank expression on his face, as if he'd seen a ghost. Searching for words, his mind reeling, eyes glued to the ceiling, he coughed before actually saying a word.

"I'm not sure Princess…" Toadsworth whispered, drifting off mid-speech. His voice was shaking. Surely this was a threat! "You must open this, if you will, Princess Peach." The trembling Toadsworth handed the note to Peach. She gently accepted the letter. Tearing it open with the tip of her finger, she removed the letter from its black package. Unfolding the letter, she read over the text carefully.

Dear Princess Peach,

I am officially inviting you to my castle for a stay. Please do not fret; this is not an attempt to capture you. Instead of my most frequently used way of trying to get you to stay, I am trying this method. Please accept my humble offer, and meet me at the Piranha Park at 4:00 PM so I may escort you.

Bowser

"Oh my. This is new." Peach said after reading and gently closing the letter. Toadsworth, with an openly curious expression, leaned gently over Peach's shoulder. To his demise, the letter was closed. This forced Toadsworth to ask the question;

"What did it say?"

Peach smiled warmly at Toadsworth, the happiness evident on her face. Prepared to allow Toadsworth read the letter, she removed it once again, calmly handing it to him. The old Toad briskly reads it over, a shocked expression slowly appearing on his face. He turned to her, dropping the letter onto the floor.

"You will not accept this…. Awful invite! I will not have it, Princess!" Toadsworth said in a loud, bossy, brisk voice toward the royal woman. Peach smiled humorously. Turning to look out the window, she replied softly.

"I want to go. Please, allow me to accept his invite." Peach gazed at the path, and continued. "I know he's evil, but please, I see some good in him. I honestly believe that he is doing this out of the kindness of his black heart."

"Princess…" Toadsworth began.

"Toadsworth, there is nothing that will stop me from going. I'm sorry…" Peach interrupted. Turning to Toadsworth with a determined expression, she attempted a light smile. Toadsworth looked at her, obviously upset, and turned briskly.

"That's fine, Princess. However…" Toadsworth swiveled his head just slightly to look at Peach's sky blue eyes. "Don't expect Mario to save you." With that, Toadsworth left Princess Peach to simply stand there, hurt.

*notes: Ouch. Not nice.

Please comment, that'd be cool. It's only my second fanfic, so be nice, alright?


	2. Away with the Princess

AN: Thank you to the people who have reviewed this story so far, I'm happy you took the time to read my story.

An Unexpected Visitor- Chapter Two

A warm breeze trickled through the open window of Peach's grand bedroom. Her hair swayed gently as the calm summer breeze glided across her face, however she did not notice. Her eyes were steadily glued to the pink door in front of her; her expression was sad, lonely, and hurt. How dare he! The nerve and gall of some people, yet, Peach could understand his words.

The Mushroom Kingdom heir glanced at the clock on her bedside table, wondering the time. He had said four o'clock, correct? The digital device read one thirty. Relieved, Peach let out a long, gentle sigh. Sitting on her bed, she wondered if she was brave enough to endure a stay at Bowser's dark castle, fully remembering the many times she had spent a night or two there.

"This… this will be different." Peach said to herself confidently, as she stood and flipped her hair as an attempt to remove the locks covering her sapphire eyes. Her pink suitcase was empty, as the last time she had used it was when she took a trip to Delfino Island as a calm getaway. It was Bowser's feisty younger son, Bowser Junior, who had ruined it. Peach couldn't help but smile after thinking of Junior; she had always enjoyed the presence of the tyke.

Peach walked over and grabbed the rose suitcase, setting it on her blush bed. The princess walked into her closet, grabbing the necessary items from the large room. She returned to her bed with three of her regular dresses, her sports outfit, which consisted of a pink halter top and light pink shorts, and a pink bikini swimsuit. Packing them neatly into her suitcase, Peach then continued to rummage through her dresser, pulling out an arrangement of undergarments, also setting those inside her suitcase. She grabbed a book, her cell phone, and her portable gaming system as a guilty pleasure. Humming softly, she walked into her bathroom to collect her toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash, a fluffy pink towel, and a rosy washcloth. Placing the last of her items into suitcase, she zipped up the large main pocket and set the suitcase on the floor next to her bed.

The next hours became long, as Peach nervously awaited for her departure time, when she would leave and travel to Pirahana Park. The princess simply sat on her bed, thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong. What if he wouldn't let her return? Peach's nails were shortened due to her anxiously chewing them, and she stared at them while she was deep in her thoughts.

The pink clad princess finally rose from her bed, deciding to take a walks through Toad Town. She gathered her items, suitcase in all, in the event she stayed out too long to return and collect them. Peach exited the castle, telling the guards she was staying at Toadette's small cottage near the outskirts of Toad Town. The worried doormen simply nodded, and the princess continued her way to Toad Town.

The walk was very relaxing as Peach found, and soon she had forgotten about her meeting with the Koopa King. Looking at a novelty Koopa Shell in one of the many shops about Toad Town, Peach suddenly remembered her invite. Worried, she glanced at a nearby clock, reading 3:50 PM. Peach jumped, picked up her suitcase, and ran toward Darkland's Pirhana Park. The stones caught on her long gown as she ran, causing several rips, tears, and frayed ends on the beautiful royal dress, but all this was oblivious to Peach. She only cared about not being late, and not disappointing the fragile heart of a nervous Koopa King.


	3. Wrecked Girl

AN: Apologies for the filler chapter last time… this one will be longer and interesting. Thanks for reading … It's not over yet though. Also, apologies for the late chapter, I was caught in… Mario Kart.

The miserable king stood in Piranha Park, awaiting the beautiful damsel that was due in three minutes. Certainly she would accept! His own son had suggested this type of meet, and Peach should be coming. Bowser's thoughts were shrouded with hopelessness and despair, wondering if the lovely woman even thought about accepting the invite.

Deeming that she didn't, Bowser turned around, sighing, and began the long walk toward his lava surrounded fortress. He stared at the ground, his huge feet creating a large amount of noise on the paved pathway. The gargantuan palace, his home, lay a mile or two ahead.

He stopped. Bowser could hear the tiny, dainty footsteps of another, smaller figure. Before whipping around to confront the follower, he snuck a glance at the approaching shadow, and the identity of his pursuer was known. Recognizing the long, flowing hair and the crown topping it, Bowser smiled in delight.

Peach.

The blonde stopped, panting, leaning over the rocky soil. Her royal pink dress was in shambles, the sapphire brooch affixed to her chest scratched and stained. Her now unruly golden hair was knotted and adorned with pebbles. Peach's red leather heels were covered in a brown liquid, covering her awfully blistered and swollen feet. The princess looked like a homeless young lady, and as Bowser turned, he couldn't help but laughing.

"W-why are you laughing?" Peach inquired softly, breathlessly. Her calm voice was slightly scratchy, an indication of her rush along the pathway. Peach licked her dry lips, hoping to moisturize them somewhat; as she now wished she hadn't dropped her bag on the scuttle to be on time. The exhausted look in her sapphire eyes looked at Bowser curiously, causing him to abruptly stop laughing and frown at the blonde.

"Nothing, Peach." Bowser insisted, staring down the worn princess. Sure, she'd come all this way, but for him? He figured she was used to always being whisked away in the middle of the night, and that she really didn't care if this was another clever trap. Attempting to appear less menacing and more loving, the large koopa king stepped forward, picking Peach up, and draping her gently over his thick, tan shoulder.

"H-hey! What are you doing?!" Peach said, her attempt at yelling at him failing. Bowser glanced slowly over to see the princess, and looked at her, smirking. Peach could already tell that he was scheming something. The creative turn to his lips and the slightly mischievous gleam in his eyes alerted the princess of this. Knowing that she was his for the taking, she sighed slowly and deliberately.

"We're going to my castle, Peach. Remember? Look, I'm not going to have you walk all the way there. Just look at you! You look like you came from the poor side of Sarasaland!" The king boomed in reply, and the Princess did not argue with him at all. Her feet ached and desperately needed a long foot rub, and her leg muscles were screaming at her in pain, wanting sturdy shoes or a hot bath. Peach, once again, let out a long breath of air.

"Fine." She replied stubbornly, crossing her arms as much as she could, "But just this once, Bowser. I'm not going to be carried around like a sack of tomatoes all the time! It's disrespectful, seeing as I am the princess of Mushroom Kingdom." Pouting, she grabbed onto his muscular arm, squeezing it so she wouldn't go tumbling off his shoulder. Staring out at the sunset of gorgeous pink, red, and orange hues, Peach finally allowed herself to be at ease. A shallow, cold breeze enveloped to two figures, seeming to make the moment interestingly dramatic. Once again, Peach's voice echoed through the hills. "Let's go, Bowser."


	4. Stalkers

AN: I started this with like, no reviews on the last chapter. That's okay though. : P if you read, please review!

By the way, in case anyone asks, I'll post the current ages of all the characters (yes, this is about 3 years past the events in NSMBW)

Peach: 30

Bowser: 35

Mario: 34

Ludwig: 20

Lemmy: 19

Roy: 18

Iggy: 17

Wendy: 16

Morton: 15

Larry: 13

Junior: 13 (yes, they are the same age. Why? Larry is extremely close to being 14, his birthday actually occurs sometime in the story.)

The path to the castle was bumpy and covered with deep pits, as the ground had been treaded by millions of feet everyday, yet no creature thought it wise to repair the old dirt pathway. Staring at them with it's gleaming windows and doors before them was Bowser's Castle, however so far it actually was, it seemed right in front of them due to it's massive size. Regular commotion inside the castle was loud enough for the hearing impaired to hear from the outside. Peach and Bowser both dreaded what had gone on during Bowser's short leave, and both knew it most likely had to do with the Koopalings. Bowser's kids were always causing massive amounts of trouble, if it was Wendy's constant whining or the explosions that frequently happened in Iggy's room. The children were always bickering about one thing or another, especially tormenting poor Junior.

Peach stared out at the fortress of Bowser, wondering if the visit will go well, as the koopa king usually holds her hostage. Mario always came to rescue her in the end, whether or not it was completely necessary at the time. Long ago, the room she was held in was cold and uncomfortable, and almost always stained with tears and mascara. However, the room he held her in had transformed over the years into a quite large and cozy one, almost identical to her own. Peach sighed dreamily, imagining the plush on the mattress and pillows on her body and the warm, yet, silky feel of her comforter.

Bowser stopped suddenly, causing the princess to snap out of her dream-like state. A young female koopa was racing toward the king, as Bowser sighed irritability. She stopped, staring up at Bowser with an innocent look and a mischievous gleam to her small beady eyes.

"Daddy-Kins," Wendy O. Koopa began in a sickingly sweet tone of voice, "Iggy won't like, stop exploding things, and I'm like, trying to get my beauty sleep. Can you like, tell him to stop please?" The words were sugar coated, yet came across so bratty and terrible.

"Wendy, let me get into the house first. I'll deal with Iggy in a moment." Bowser replied, obviously annoyed that his sixteen-year old daughter couldn't seem to take care of one small problem on her own. Approaching the castle, Bowser let Peach off his shoulder onto the ground, where she regained her footing and walked in.

"Hello!" She exclaimed in her ever-so-sweet voice tone, and, in a few moments, a rush of koopa children were pushing and shoving down the stairs to sneak a glance at the woman at the door. Seeing Peach there made them happier, and they soon crowded her like five-year old children.

"Where were you Mama Peach?"

"Did ya bring anything from Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Why are you here?"

"Whoa, calm down, sweethearts." Peach said to stop the onslaught of questions and inquiries. "I'll answer questions one at a time, but first, I need to get cleaned up. I imagine you have not had any supper yet, and I would like to join you for a meal." Peach smiled warmly at the children. "Now, run along please! I must be able to get up the stairs."

The Koopalings nodded and quickly scattered back up the plethora of steps. Peach followed after them, smiling the entire way up the stairs. However tired she may be, she was very happy to see the Koopalings, as she had bonded with them throughout the countless captures. Remembering her holding room, she stepped into it and gently closed the door. Staring at herself in the mirror, she couldn't stifle a giggle either.

Showering quickly and removing the small pebbles caught in her hair, she stepped out of the bathroom in a towel. Reaching for her bag…

She suddenly realized it wasn't there.

Frowning, she went back into her memories, and remembered that she had dropped the bag on the way, but didn't pick it up due to being concerned about being late. She sighed, visibly irritated. Going back into the bathroom and scavenging for her robe, she decided to inform Bowser about this odd predicament. Peach headed for the door and yelled for anyone who happened to be standing around. This caught the attention of one of Bowser's many doormen, and he rushed to her aid.

"How may I assist you, Princess?" The koopa asked politely, wondering what could have possibly gone wrong.

" I… seem to have left my bag outside on the path somewhere. Can you fetch Bowser for me please?" Peach asked, returning the same polite tone. The doorman simply nodded his head, and walked off, yelling for Bowser. Peach watched him walk off, and in a few moments, she saw Bowser approaching her door.

"Yeah, Peach, what's wrong?" Bowser inquired, looking at her damp figure. She looked at him slightly embarrassed before speaking.

"I left my bag outside on the path…" Peach said softly, receiving a questioning look from Bowser. He sighed wearily.

"I'll get Kammy to warp it here or something…" Bowser replied hastily, earning a happy and relieved look from Peach. She smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you very much, Bowser." She said, before waving daintily and discreetly closing the door to her room without another sound. Bowser walked off, slightly annoyed, but desperate to please the princess at all times. Now came the daunting task of keeping the children's noses out of it, and finding Kammy herself somewhere in the gargantuan palace.

"This is gonna be a long night…" Bowser managed to get out before stomping down the hallway, fearing the worst. The night was still young, but the mischievous acts of his children lay ahead.

________________________________________________________________________

Hearing the stomping over the noise of the violin he was playing, Bowser's oldest son, Ludwig, peeked his head out the door. Surely his father wasn't already pissed off about something! Staring down the long corridor at his father's steadily disappearing figure, Ludwig decided to see what was going on at the time. He calmly and quietly stepped out of his room and closed the door, as not to bring attention to himself, and followed his father down the hallway.

Lemmy, Bowser's second oldest son, was already in the hallway at the time Ludwig had left. Curiosity came over him, and Lemmy rolled right in front of Ludwig. Stopping his ball with great expertise, he planted himself in front of Ludwig and popped the question.

Not literally.

"Ludwig! Whatcha doing?" Lemmy inquired, in his surprisingly childish high-pitched voice. Seeing that he was nineteen years of age, one might think that he'd be more mature. However, Lemmy was a very odd child, possibly because of the various explosions he'd gotten the luxury of being involved in. Ludwig stared at him in surprise and disappointment, as Lemmy would annoy him until he told him.

"I am simply participating in whatever endeavor our father is pleasuring himself in by silently following him." Ludwig stated firmly and monotonously. Lemmy looked at him stupidly.

"In English please?"

"… I'm stalking him, to put it bluntly. To please your ignorant and unknowledgeable cranium."

"Oh. 'Kay. I wanna join." Lemmy said with a huge grin on his face, causing Ludwig to look at him with displeasure. Lemmy continued to stare at him, and in a few moments, began to screech.

"Silence yourself!" Ludwig began, "Fine. I will allow you to participate."

"YAY!!!!" Lemmy screamed, and in a brief time, Bowser Junior came bounding out of his room, glaring at the two. Bowser's youngest son was almost a mirror image of him, and Junior was able to assist his father in places the Koopalings could not.

"SHUT UP, Okay? I'm trying to… accomplish stuff, 'lright?" Junior demanded, seeing himself as the better of the three siblings. Ludwig and Lemmy both turned to him, frowning. Junior stared at them. "I have rights."

"I am attempting to collect information on our father's odd endeavors." Ludwig informed him cautiously, trying to put it in a way that Junior wouldn't exactly understand. Hoping he would slink back into his messy room, he looked at him smugly. Junior stared at him with disgust.

"You're stalking our father." Junior said, much to Ludwig's shock. "I don't care either. I can't do anything anyways with Iggy's constant explosions. It's like, annoying. Ugh, I sound like Wendy."

Afraid that Junior might start rambling, Ludwig quickly nodded and tiptoed in his father's direction, still able to see him in the dark corridor. Lemmy yawned and followed him, rolling slickly on his yellow and orange ball. Junior watched them leave, the rolled his eyes and walked down the hallway toward Iggy's room.

All were thinking the same thing; this is going to be a long night.


	5. Collision Havoc

An Unexpected Visitor

AN: I don't have much reviews, but… I'd rather finish the story then have it uncompleted. So, here it is, chapter five. Please enjoy, and review.

Bowser made his way down the long corridor, unaware that he was being followed by his oldest children. Kammy, thus far, was nowhere to be seen, and the king was beginning to get impatient. Peach was waiting for him, and he couldn't disappoint. Bowser frantically searched high and low for the magi-koopa, yet, she seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth. Groaning, he finally decided to consult Kamek, who was without a doubt in the playroom watching Larry and Morton. The king headed toward the playroom casually.

"HEY, Kamek, where's that hag? I need to talk to her." Bowser yelled to catch the magi-koopa's attention. Kamek, annoyed, turned around to face the king. His tone had a false happiness that the king had shown up, however, Kamek was very angry.

"Greetings, Your Highness, and I haven't the foggiest idea where Kammy ran off to. I imagine she's assisting Ludwig with his music or something."

Bowser groaned. Ludwig's bedroom was at the other end of the castle, and he was tired. Deciding to inform Kamek of the situation would prove less tiring, so, he began the story. "Well, ya see, Peach left her bag somewhere out there, and I am NOT going out there at night again. You teleport it here. Now."

Kamek sighed wearily. His wand was quickly running empty on magical force, and a teleportation spell would kill it. Rolling his eyes, he waved his wand around. Peach's bag materialized slowly from an assortment of various polygons. The pink duffel landed with a sharp THUD.

"Great. To Peach", Bowser began, relieved. "Continue doing… whatever, Kamek." Bowser walked out and started to Peach's room, clutching her bag handle tightly between his palm and fingers. Kamek didn't bother to wave or reply, as this was useless at most times.

Bowser Junior kicked down Iggy's door angrily. This caused the green-haired koopa to sharply turn around and look at Junior.

"… Knocking?"

Bowser Junior rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, nerd. Tune it down. I can't hear myself think with all the noise you're makin' in here. Geez." Iggy stared at him for a moment, then smirked.

"No."

This reply caused Junior to redden, obviously mad that his older brother wouldn't listen to him. Junior saw himself as much more important then his siblings, as he was treated this way. However, this did not stop Junior from turning heel and leaving, with a few final words.

"I'm telling!"

Iggy sighed. Of course, Junior was wasting his breath, but the old 'I'm telling' bit was quite annoying, especially from a thirteen year old. Curious, however, Iggy went to go follow Junior. Maybe he could get his father to allow him to explode things, as in, the castle. Iggy laughed manically before heading another direction in the place he was sure his father was.

Peach's room.

Iggy slinked quietly through the halls, not wanting unnessacary attention, being very anti-social. The large mansion was eerily silent, possibly because it was almost dinnertime and everyone was in his or her rooms.

Or so he thought. Ludwig and Lemmy were not to far ahead of Iggy, and sooner or later, they would meet. All three of them were hot on the tail of their father, and demanding odd answers to meaningless questions.

Peach sighed wearily. She was bored, dreadfully cold, and tired. Bowser had been gone for much too long as it was, and Peach was beginning to grow impatient. Where could he be?

Her shoulders sagged, tired and stressed. Deeming that he would be gone for quite a bit longer, Peach, in her robe, climbed into her bed, and almost instantly fell asleep. Unaware of the five koopas that were bound to disturb her slumber, she dreamt serenely. The sun was now set, and the moon was high in the sky. Beams of cool, white moonlight flooded Peach's room, illuminating her golden locks.

Large footsteps could then be heard outside. Bowser came bounding into Peach's bedroom, and leaned upon her sleeping figure. He sighed angrily. He did NOT come all this way to find Peach asleep. Bowser dropped the bag on the floor loudly, and was just about to leave when…..

They came. Iggy, Bowser Junior, Ludwig, and Lemmy all poured into the large pink room, talking up a storm. The sudden bustle caused Peach to stir and wake up, drowsy and stretching. She was quite irritated to have been disturbed so abruptly, but, no matter. She grabbed the bag and started toward the bathroom.

"Thank you, Bowser!" Her soft voice rung above the others, and in a few moments, everyone was dead silent. They simply stared at her, not knowing she was up at all. Peach flushed an embarrassed shade of rose.

"Um, what?"


	6. Dining in Disaster

AN: Sorry it took so long to update. **Fails.** Anyway, enjoy chapter 6!

The room was still dead silent. Peach stood there, looking at the koopas in the room, and trying to figure out why she was being stared at. The koopas, however, were attempting to ponder how she got up and no one noticed. This exchange of looks continued for quite some time, until a loud throat-clearing sound broke the strange silence.

"Ahem," Bowser started, gaze now turned to his children, "Leave."

Bowser's children, rolling their eyes, turned heel and scattered out the door without a voice in protest. Peach witnessed this, and, watching the children leave, waved them goodbye. Bowser then turned to Peach. "I will see you at dinner, Princess." With that, Bowser calmly exited Peach's room, to leave her alone.

Peach took advantage of this alone time to prepare herself for presentation at the dinner table. Removing her robe, she slipped on her regular pink dress, as well as a longer, more elegant pair of blush colored gloves, with a lovely floral pattern at the base. She put on a pair of light pink high heels to match her gloves, and applied bright rose lip-gloss to her lips. To finish off, Peach put her hair in a lovely ponytail, and added a pink rose to the ponytail holder. The princess smiled in the mirror at her unusual appearance, and headed downstairs to join the family for dinner.

The chaos was endless.

The table was surrounded by hungry Koopalings, all demanding food by pounding at the table. However, Ludwig was an exception, as he was sitting there, waiting patiently. As Princess Peach walked into the dinner room, the entire area fell silent, as if an off switch had been pressed firmly. All eyes were set on the princess, causing her to once again blush with embarrassment.

Junior was the first to speak up. "Hey, Mom."

Peach smiled at Junior for breaking the awkward silence. She then moved over to the table, where she took a seat next to Ludwig. The Koopa then looked at her, wondering why she sat next to him. "Greetings, Princess."

"Hello, Ludwig. I see that you are the only one acting with manners?" Peach smiled humorously when she said that, causing Ludwig to laugh.

"I imagine so, however, my attention was not directed toward any of my misbehaving siblings. I was actually thinking of a new composition."

Peach nodded her head, knowing that Ludwig enjoyed composing. "Oh, I see. Well, good luck with that composition."

Before Ludwig even got to respond, Kamek came out, once again hushing the crowd, which had become reckless. When the children had finally calmed down, Kamek cleared his throat and began addressing the royal children.

"Good evening, children. As you see, we have a guest joining us for dinner tonight." As he said this, Kamek gestured to Princess Peach, and she smiled at him. "You all need to be on your best behavior, understood?" All of the children hesitated, yet nodded their heads. "Good. Your father should be in soon, after that the food will be served. Stay quiet." The magikoopa then took his leave.

A few hushed moments later, Bowser walked in, looking no different then he ever did. He took his seat at the end of the table, next to Peach. This made her slightly uncomfortable, but she dealt with it.

"Good evening. Bowser." Peach said to him after mustering up courage to do so. Bowser turned to look at her.

"Evening."

As this exchange was taking place, the cooks came out with the food. Each plate was made for each individual's tastes, and Peach realized all of them featured different foods. When her plate arrived, she was quite happy with what was on it. A lovely dinner salad with many vegetables, topped with creamy ranch dressing was place in front of her. To the side was a small bowl of fresh chopped fruit, including apples, strawberries, peaches, and pineapple. Her drink of choice was in a glass next to her meal; it was strawberry lemonade. Peach smiled at this arrangement, and delicately picked up her dinner fork and began eating the salad gracefully.

However, none of the others in the room had manners to that extent. Peach heard grotesque smacking and gulping, and most of the people in the room were speaking whilst chewing. Peach turned to Ludwig to find he was eating junk food, but in a more appropriate manner then the rest of the people in the dinner hall. The princess smiled at him once more, acknowledging his better manners.

Junior, apparently not hungry for some reason, simply pushed his food away when it was placed in front of him, causing a nervous glance from his father. Junior was always the first one finished with his food, and was always hungry. After a few minutes of eating, Bowser gestured to Peach.

"Um. What are we looking at, Bowser?"

"Junior. He's not eating. He usually is the first one done with his food."

"Maybe you should ask him."

"Can you?" The king asked in his kindest voice, which, by the way, wasn't that kind.

"Why?" 

"It would cause too much of a disturbance if I got up."

Peach nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll go see what's wrong with Junior." She slowly and quietly got up from the table, stepped over to Junior, and kneeled next to him. This caused Junior to turn and look at Peach.

"Hey mom."

Peach smiled. As much as she denied it around everyone else, she though it was cute when Junior referred to her as his mother. "Hi Junior. Your father and I are worried about you."

Junior's eyebrows raised, and he gave Peach a questioning glance. "Uh, why?" 

"You're not eating. Bowser said you usually do. Is there any reason why you're not eating anything?"

Junior waved it off. "I'm just not hungry."

Peach frowned, as she didn't believe that at all. Acting as if she was his mother, she removed her glove and placed the back of her hand on his forehead. Peach quickly drew it away. "You're burning up."

Junior groaned. "I'm fine!"

"No, you're not. I'll be back." Peach swiftly got up and headed back toward Bowser. Bowser shot a nervous glance at Peach this time.

"Is he alright?" 

Peach blinked, then replied to him, attempting to keep Bowser as calm as possible. "He's running a high fever."

Bowser frowned. He then stood up, causing the attention of all the koopalings to be drawn at him. "You are all excused."

This random outburst got many confused and questioning looks. However, all of the children did as were told. A bustle was created of voices, attempting to figure out why they were being excused early. Most thought Bowser wanted to be alone with the Princess.

"Junior. Come here, now."

Junior rolled his eyes and turned around. He knew exactly why is father wanted him. Peach told Bowser he was sick, and now he's going to be 'punished' for it. How he hated having to lie in bed all day and do absolutely nothing. It was painstakingly boring. After hesitating for quite some time, however, he did as his father demanded and sulked over to him.

"What?"

Peach frowned at Junior's snapping tone, and grabbed his wrist. She leaned in closer to his face, and whispered to him, so Bowser was less likely to hear. "Junior, do NOT under any circumstances speak that way to your father! Do you understand?"

Junior sighed and simply nodded his head. Peach smiled and released his wrist from her gentle yet firm hold. The koopa prince exaggerated anyways and rubbed his wrist as if she was holding it extremely tightly.

Bowser witnessed the scene and recognized Peach's motherly antics. He smiled upon this, yet his face quickly returned to a serious and worried frown. Bowser cleared his throat loudly to signify that he was ready to begin his speech.

"Junior. It'd be nice if you informed me when you were sick."

Junior's attention became affixed to his father at that moment. "Dad, I'm fine. Don't worry about it!" The koopa prince's voice came out hoarse and dry. The way he spoke caused Peach to frown.

"Junior, go to your room and rest. You need it." Bowser demanded in the most loving tone a demand could come out as.

"But I-…"

"Go, Junior." Bowser exaggerated this by pointing toward the large, amber, arched doorway of the dining room. Junior rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine, fine."

Peach and Bowser both watched Junior walk off in silence until his footsteps could no longer be heard. Peach smiled faintly and turned around to face the table. Eager to finish the heavily portioned bowl of fruit served with her dinner, she daintily stepped over to the seat and sat down. Bowser pulled out the chair next to hers and sat down in it.

"So, you like that fruit, eh, Peachy?"


End file.
